Sustainable performance of business start-ups

Business incubators' are established to assist and promote entrepreneurs in developing successful new businesses. This project has investigated in 6 business incubators' located in Norway, Denmark and Iceland. By assessing its operational processes and settings their contribution to sustainable new businesses are analysed. An analytical framework was developed in order to analyse business incubators' sustainability. The framework was created with point of departure from the three principles of the triple bottom line; planet, people and profit. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are applied through questionnaires and e-mail correspondence to business incubator managers, graduated business incubators' and external advisors in related fields. This project has manifested how business incubators' can contribute to sustainable new business start-ups. To adequately be able to respond to the various social and environmental challenges, the project concludes that sustainability should be integrated into business in a systematic and dynamic process.